SB23-269 creates “bonus payments” to incentivize participation in the Colorado universal preschool provider program.
The Senate passed SB23-269 on April 19, 2023, by a vote of 28 to 3. We have assigned pluses to the noes because education is not the role of government. A child’s education is the responsibility of—and a fundamental right of choice retained by—his or her parents. Moreover, this bill’s “bonus payments” scheme threatens educational freedom by using a form of taxpayer-funded bribery to displace traditional private preschools in favor of the state’s universal preschool program. It exchanges public subsidies for curriculum control, effectively turning all participating preschools into government preschools. Coercing the citizens of Colorado to hand over more of their hard-earned tax dollars to further support a compulsory, government-run, and failing K-12 school system violates their individual liberties assured by U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights and 14th Amendment.